Ski-bindings

ABSTRACT

A ski-binding with a forwardly directed clamp mounted in upright ears on a footplate. A locking member in the form of a two-armed lever is mounted on the leading end of the clamp. The locking member has at least one hook-shaped tooth facing towards the boot and is engaged, in the locked position of the binding, with a complementary locking loop at the leading portion of the foot plate. The locking loop is formed on legs which extend beneath the footplate and have free ends bent upwardly and passing through orifices in the footplate to serve as abutment lugs for the boot sole.

United States Patent [191 Guttulsrud [111 3,850,439 [451 Nov. 26, 1974 SKI-BINDINGS [76] Inventor: Odd Guttulsrud, Havnabakken 12B,

Oslo 8, Norway [22] Filed: Jan. 23, 1973 [21] App]. No.: 326,015

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Feb. I1, 1972 Norway 397/72 [52] US. Cl 280/1L35 B [51] Int. Cl. A63C 9/10 [58] Field ofSearch 280/1135 B, 11.35 W, 230/1135 R [56] References Cited UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 2,682,4l5 6/]954 With 280/l 1.35 B 3.481.618 12/1969 With ZED/11.35 B FOREIGN PATENTS ()R APPLICATIONS 65,682 10/]948 Norway 280N135 B Primary Examiner-Kenneth H. Betts Assistant Examiner-Milton L. Smith Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Waters, Roditi, Schwartz & Nissen 57] ABSTRACT A ski-binding with a forwardly directed clamp mounted in upright ears'on a footplate. A locking member in the form of a two-armed lever is mounted on the leading end of the clamp. The locking member has at least one hook-shaped tooth facing towards the boot and is engaged, in the locked position of the binding, with a complementary locking loop at the leading portion of the foot plate. The locking loop is formed on legs which extend beneath the footplate and have free ends bent upwardly and passing through orifices in the footplate to serve as abutment lugs for the boot sole.

5 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures SKI-BINDINGS The present invention relates to an improvement in ski-bindings of the type where a forwardly directed clamp is mounted on a footplate in upright ears, the clamp, with a downwardly directed pressure, being retained by a member cooperating with the leading end of the clamp, the leading sole portion of the boot being thereby pressed against the upper face of the footplate, the boot sole engaging upright lugs provided on the footplate. Such bindings are usually called toebindings.

The known embodiments of this type of ski-binding have a curved attachment member which is provided with rearwardly directed teeth mounted on the ski, said teeth entering into engagement with the leading portion of the clamp. The upright locking member is an obstacle if the skis are to be stored one upon the other with the sole of one ski against the binding of the second ski. Furthermore, snow and ice will readily collect around the locking member. Both hands are needed for securing the binding; for example, the clamp is pressed downwardly by the right hand and the locking member pivoted into engagement by the other hand. The reverse procedure takes place on release of the binding.

An object of the present invention is to improve the above said bindings so as to eliminate the disadvantages described, a number of advantages being achieved at the same time.

In accordance with the invention, this is achieved by an improvement in ski-bindings of the type having a forwardly directed clamp mounted on a footplate in upright ears, said clamp, with a downwardly directed pressure, being retained by a member cooperating with the leading end of the clamp, and the leading sole portion of the boot is thereby pressed against the upper face of the footplate, the boot sole engaging upright lugs on said footplate, the invention being characterized in that the refainer member comprises a twoarmed. lever-shaped locking member pivotally mounted on the leading end of the clamp and having at least one hook-shaped tooth facing rearwardly toward the boot, said tooth in the locking position of the binding entering into engagement with a complementary locking member at the leading portion of the footplate. In order to achieve a streamlined shape of the leading portion of the binding, the arms of the two-armed lever are preferably such that they form an obtuse angle. In a suitable embodiment of the invention, the locking member on the clamp is constituted by a U-shaped profile, at least two teeth being formed in each of the flanges of the U.

The complementary locking loop may expediently be secured to an extension of the footplate, known per se, and be constituted by a loop extending transversely of the ski.

A further development of the invention is characterized in that the legs of the loop are extended and bent inwardly beneath the footplate and, at the free ends thereof, are bent approximately at right angles upwardly and passed through orifices provided in the footplate so that the upwardly bent ends form the upright lugs of the binding.

A further feature of the invention resides in the provision of two orifices, one behind the other, in each of toe-irons ears, so that the clamp may be mounted in two different positions.

The binding according to the invention may be locked in a simplemanner in that the angular locking clamp is pressed downwardly and brought into engagement with the locking loop with the fingers of one hand. When the binding is to be released, the rearwardly directed arm of the angular locking member is pressed with a finger or ski-stick. The clamp will then spring upwardly, as it is tensioned against the boot sole, and the binding is released. Due to the fact that one arm of the locking member is directed obliquely forwardly and downwardly and that the second arm is directed approximately horizontally rearwardly, the leading portion of the binding has a distinctive streamlined shape and will cause little braking and have very little tendency to collect snow and ice. The binding is also extremely flat when it is not in use, so that it is well adapted for storage of the skis one upon the other, with the sole of one ski against the upper side of the lower ski.

Since the legs of the locking loop are extended rearwardly and are located beneath the footplate and, at the free ends thereof, are bent to approximate right angles upwardly and passed through orifices in the footplate, such that the upwardly bent ends form the upright lugs of the binding, the lugs may be replaced in a very simple manner. A much simpler production of the binding is also obtained in this manner, since the lugs must otherwise be secured to the footplate of the binding by means of riveting.

Since two orifices are provided, one behind the other, in both ears of the toe-iron, such that the clamp may be mounted in a forward or rearward position, a binding is obtained which may be used both as a racing binding and as a cross country binding. As a cross country binding the clamp is mounted in the forward set of orifices and the boot is in a position for optimal movement, since only the extreme leading portion of the boot sole is retained against the footplate of the binding. When the clamp is mounted in the rear set of orifices, a larger part of the boot sole is engaged, and the boot has an improved control in the toe-iron. The binding is then suitable as a racing binding.

The invention is further explained hereafter with reference to the drawing, in which FIG. 1 is a view of the binding according to the invention seen from the side, and in partial section;

FIG. 2 is a view of the binding in FIG. I seen from above;

FIG. 3 is a view of the binding seen from the front, with the clamp and locking member removed;

FIG. 4 shows a further development of the binding according to the invention where the rearwardly directed leg of the angular locking member is provided with a spring, and where the clamp is secured in the ears of the toe-iron in a special manner;

FIG. 5 is a section taken along line V-V in FIG. 4, and

FIG. 6 is a section taken along line VIVI in FIG. .4.

The toe-iron l of the binding consists of a footplate '2 having upright ears 3 and 4. These ears must be extension 5. At the upper edge of each ear 3, 4, two orifices 9 and ,10 are provided. A clamp 11 may, with the free ends 12 thereof, be pivotally mounted in two corresponding orifices, for example, as illustrated on the drawing, in the two forward orifices 9. The clamp 11 has a forwardly directed portion 14 to which a locking member 15 is pivotally mounted, said locking member 15 consisting of a two-armed lever, the two arms 16 and l7 forming an obtuse angle with one another. The forward arm 16 extends obliquely forwardly and downwardly in locking position of the binding and has rearwardly directed teeth 18 for engagement with a locking loop 19 in the locked position of the binding. As will be clear from FIG. 1 of the drawing, arm 17 extends horizontally rearwardly in the locked position. The legs of the loop 19 are extended rearwardly at 20 and, at the free ends thereof, are bent at right angles upwardly and form lugsZl, 22. The extended portions of the legs of the loop are located beneath the extension 5 of the footplate 2 and arerecessed in grooves 23. A depression 24 may be provided on the upper side of the arms 17 in the locking member 15 so that it is possible, simply by means of a skistick, to press this arm downwardly, so that the binding is brought out of locking position. a tooth 18 being pressed from its engagement with the loop 19.

In FIG. 4, a further development of the invention is illustrated, and therein a helical spring 25 is secured at the ends thereof to the forwardly directed portion 14 of the clamp 11. The spring 25 is secured in such a manner that it presses the leg 17 of the angular locking member 15 upwardly, so that the leg 16 is pressed rearwardly, and the teeth 18 automatically engage the loop 19 when the locking member 15 is pressed downwardly. Furthermore, the leg 17, on the underside thereof, is provided with outwardly directed flanges 26 which lie beneath the two branches of the loop member 14, and thus prevent the leg 17 of the locking member 15 from pivoting too far upwardly.

The free leg 12 of the clamp ll is, in FIG. 4, secured in tongues 27 downwardly bent from the upper edge of the toe-iron ears 3 and 4, it being thereby avoided that the free ends 12 of the loop 1] pass through the toeiron ears 3 and 4.

The invention is not restricted to the embodiment described and illustrated in the drawing. Thus, the clamp may. for example, be formed integrally with the leading portion 5 of the footplate 2, the leading portion of this 4 portion 5 being bent upwardly and having locking orifices or locking slots for engagement with the teeth 18.

Having described my invention, 1 claim:

1. In a ski-binding of the typewherein a forwardly directed clamp is mounted in upright ears on a footplate, said clamp being, with a downwardly directed pressure, retained by a member which cooperates with the leading end of the clamp, and thereby presses the leading portion of the boot sole against the upper face of the footplate, while the boot sole engages upright lugs provided on the footplate, an improvement wherein the retaining member comprises a locking member in the form of a two-armed lever pivotally mounted on the leading end of the clamp, said locking member including at least one hook-shaped tooth facing rearwardly towards the boot, said tooth being engaged, in the locked position of the binding, with a complementary locking loop mounted at the leading portion of the footplate, said footplate including an extension and said complementary locking loop being secured to said extension and extending transversely of the ski, said loop including legs which are extended and bent inwardly beneath the footplate and have free ends which are bent to approximate right angles upwardly and passed through orifices provided in the footplate so that said upwardly bent ends form said upright lugs.

2. An improvement according to claim 1 wherein the arms of the two-armed lever form an obtuse angle with one another, one arm being directed obliquely downwardly in locked position of the binding and provided with said rearwardly directed tooth, the second arm being directed substantially horizontally rearwardly, in locked position of the binding.

3. An improvement according to claim 2 comprising a spring secured to the forwardly directed portion of the clamp, said spring being engaged with said rearwardly directed arm of the locking member on the underside thereof.

4. An improvement according to claim 1 wherein said second arm of the locking member has a lower edge with a horizontally, outwardly directed flange thereat.

5. An improvement according to claim 1 wherein said clamp has free ends mounted in orifices provided in tongues which are bent downwardly from the upper edge of each of said ears. 

1. In a ski-binding of the type wherein a forwardly directed clamp is mounted in upright ears on a footplate, said clamp being, with a downwardly directed pressure, retained by a member which cooperates with the leading end of the clamp, and thereby presses the leading portion of the boot sole against the upper face of the footplate, while the boot sole engages upright lugs provided on the footplate, an improvement wherein the retaining member comprises a locking member in the form of a two-armed lever pivotally mounted on the leading end of the clamp, said locking member including at least one hook-shaped tooth facing rearwardly towards the boot, said tooth being engaged, in the locked position of the binding, with a complementary locking loop mounted at the leading portion of the footplate, said footplate including an extension and said complementary locking loop being secured to said extension and extending transversely of the ski, said loop including legs which are extended and bent inwardly beneath the footplate and have free ends which are bent to approximate right angles upwardly and passed through orifices provided in the footplate so that said upwardly bent ends form said upright lugs.
 2. An improvement according to claim 1 wherein the arms of the two-armed lever form an obtuse angle with one another, one arm being directed obliquely downwardly in locked position of the binding and provided with said rearwardly directed tooth, the second arm being directed substantially horizontally rearwardly, in locked position of the binding.
 3. An improvement according to claim 2 comprising a spring secured to the forwardly directed portion of the clamp, said spring being engaged with said rearwardly directed arm of the locking member on the underside thereOf.
 4. An improvement according to claim 1 wherein said second arm of the locking member has a lower edge with a horizontally, outwardly directed flange thereat.
 5. An improvement according to claim 1 wherein said clamp has free ends mounted in orifices provided in tongues which are bent downwardly from the upper edge of each of said ears. 